Best and most popular half marathons in Europe

Half marathons in Europe split into two jobs: biggest fields (atmosphere and logistics) and best for you (PB, city break, or SuperHalfs). By recent field size, the most popular are the Great North Run (around 60,000–63,000), Göteborgsvarvet in Gothenburg (55,000 registered in 2026), and the Paris Half (nearly 50,000 starters in 2026). Size is not the same as best: SuperHalfs races such as Valencia and Lisbon cap smaller fields and still sell out for pace and the city.

Most “half marathons in Europe” pages are calendars. This one ranks the biggest published fields, then shows how to pick the best half for a UK trip. The numbers below are what organisers or results pages published for a named edition — registered, starters, finishers, or a cap — not a blended guess. Confirm the current date and entry route on the official site before you book.

Best half marathons in Europe — how we choose

“Best half marathons in Europe” is not the same list as “most popular”. We use four criteria before we call a race “best” for a UK weekend:

1. Course honesty — flat enough (or honest enough) for the pace goal you said you have.
2. City payoff — the place earns the flight or rail fare even if the race goes badly.
3. Entry reality — ballot, cap, charity, or open sale you can actually plan around.
4. Weekend logistics — hotels near the start, transport on race morning, admin (medical certs, waves).

If you want a PB, start with the SuperHalfs (Valencia, Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Cardiff) and other flat city courses. If you want the biggest weekend, use the field-size ranking below. For a city that earns the flight, use the European halves for a city break shortlist. For a shorter race that still justifies a weekend away, see best 10K races in Europe.

How this ranking works

“Most popular” here means how many people take part, not how fast the course is or how pretty the finish photo looks.

That distinction matters for a UK trip. A 40,000-runner half means earlier hotel sell-outs, busier expo halls, and wave starts. A 19,000-cap SuperHalf can still be harder to enter. We ranked by the latest published field we could source, and labelled what the figure actually is.

The UK counts as Europe. Leaving out the Great North Run because it is domestic would be ranking tourism, not popularity.

Biggest half marathons in Europe, by field size

Race	Typical month	Recent field	What the number is
Great North Run	September	60,000–63,000	2026 field per the organiser; BBC reported about 60,000 for 2025
Göteborgsvarvet (Gothenburg)	May	55,000	Registered for 2026
Paris Half (HOKA Semi de Paris)	March	Nearly 50,000	2026 starters, per organiser race-day figures
Berlin Half	March / April	42,563 runners	2026 registered runners, per SCC EVENTS figures reported by Road Race Management
Rome Half	October	Nearly 40,000	2026 registrations ahead of race day (22,000 in 2025)
Barcelona Half	February	36,000	2026 participants, sold out
Copenhagen Half	September	45,000 (2027 cap)	2027 capacity; last mass race 2025: 31,440 finishers. No mass CPH Half in 2026
Madrid Half	March	28,000	2026 half-marathon entries; 31,000 across the weekend with the 5K
Cardiff Half	October	27,500+	2025 Sunday half
Valencia Half	October	25,000	2026 bib cap

Lisbon and Prague sit just under that table on size, and near the top on travel demand. They are in the SuperHalfs section below.

AJ Bell Great North Run

When: September
Official site: greatrun.org - Great North Run

This is the biggest half marathon in Europe by published field size. The 2026 event page puts the field at 63,000 for the 45th edition (Sunday 13 September). The same page also talks about 60,000 on the Newcastle–South Shields route. BBC coverage of 2025 used “about 60,000” for that year’s record turnout, with more than 200,000 spectators on the 13.1-mile point-to-point.

It is a festival as much as a race: Tyne Bridge, rolling roads, seafront finish. Do not treat it as a PB course. General entry is usually ballot-led, with charity places if you miss out.

From most of the UK this is a rail or drive weekend, not a flight. Hotels in Newcastle go early; South Shields is quieter if you want the finish. Trip estimates: Great North Run. If you want a smaller North East half rather than the 60,000-runner festival, start with the North East shortlist.

Göteborgsvarvet, Gothenburg

When: May
Official site: goteborgsvarvet.se

UK lists often skip Gothenburg. The field does not. The organiser says 55,000 runners registered for the 21 km race on 23 May 2026, from 64 nations. The 2025 edition was also billed at 55,000 registered.

It is a Swedish mass-participation classic more than a destination-PB product: city streets, huge local support, a start list that still looks Nordic-heavy. Direct flights into GOT are the usual UK pattern; central Gothenburg hotels matter because this many runners flatten weekend inventory.

We do not have a full trip page for Varvet yet. Price the weekend yourself, and treat 55,000 as a logistics number, not a marketing adjective.

HOKA Semi de Paris (Paris Half Marathon)

When: March
Official site: hokasemideparis.fr

The organiser put nearly 50,000 starters on the 8 March 2026 course - Boulevard Saint-Germain to Place de la Bastille, 103 nationalities, 46% women. The organiser billed it as the world’s largest half. By published field size, the Great North Run and Göteborgsvarvet are both bigger. Paris remains the largest capital-city loop we can source in western Europe.

France requires a medical certificate or PPS for many road races, including this one. Build that into the admin, not the morning of the expo.

Flights into CDG (or ORY) and a hotel near Saint-Germain, the Marais, or Bastille keep race morning on the Metro. Indicative weekend cost: Paris Half Marathon.

Generali Berlin Half Marathon

When: March / April
Official site: generali-berliner-halbmarathon.de

Germany’s biggest half. For the 45th edition in 2026, SCC EVENTS figures reported by Road Race Management were 42,563 runners among around 48,000 weekend participants (plus skaters, wheelchair athletes, and kids’ races), from 134 nations, finishing under the Brandenburg Gate.

Entry usually follows SCC EVENTS’ draw / charity / tour-operator routes - the same family as the September marathon. Flat, central, and a SuperHalfs race, which is why it shows up on both “biggest” and “best” lists.

Hotels in Mitte keep the start walkable; flights into BER are the standard UK hop. Berlin Half trip page.

Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon by Brooks

When: October
Official site: romehalfmarathon.it

The growth story on this list. The organiser said the third edition (18 October 2026) was close to 40,000 registrations by June - almost double the 22,000 of 2025 - with about 80% of the field coming from abroad. The UK was the third-largest overseas group (9%). Italy often wants a medical certificate for competitive events; check the current rules before you enter.

We do not have a Rome trip page yet. If you go, treat hotels inside the walls as race logistics, and price flights into FCO once a bib is real. A field this size in the centro storico is not a quiet sightseeing jog.

Hyundai Mitja Marató Barcelona by Brooks

When: February
Official site: mitjamarato.barcelona

Catalan News, citing the organisers, put the 15 February 2026 field at 36,000 - sold out from September 2025, up from 30,000 in 2025 and about 28,000 in 2024. Around 40% of runners were from outside Catalonia, from 93 countries. It is a World Athletics Gold Label race, and the course has a genuine fast-time reputation (Jacob Kiplimo ran 56:42 here in 2025).

February is kinder than summer tourism for hotels and pacing. Flights into BCN stay busy year-round. Barcelona Half trip page.

Copenhagen Half Marathon

When: Sunday 19 September 2027
Official site: cphhalf.dk

The mass CPH Half is back after the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships pause. Organisers have set a 45,000 capacity for 19 September 2027 — up from the 2025 record of 31,743 starters and 31,440 finishers. Entry is by free lottery (not first-come sale), with selected runners buying the bib afterwards.

Central hotels and flights into CPH are the UK pattern. Copenhagen Half trip page.

Movistar Madrid Half Marathon

When: March
Official site: mediomaratonmadrid.es

Triatlón Noticias, citing the organisers, put the 22 March 2026 half at 28,000 entries (sold out, with a waiting list), plus about 3,000 in the ProFuturo 5K - 31,000 across the weekend. The official site later called it the most crowded edition, with more than 30,000 participants. 41% of the half field was international, with France, the UK, and Italy among the largest overseas groups.

The centre-city loop (Recoletos, Castellana, Gran Vía, Cibeles) is popular rather than pancake-flat. Hotels near Recoletos or Sol keep race morning simple; flights into MAD are frequent from the UK.

Oysho Cardiff Half Marathon

When: October
Official site: cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk

The UK’s other mass-participation capital half, and a SuperHalfs race. For the 5 October 2025 edition the organiser published more than 27,500 in the Sunday half, with 29,000+ across the weekend including Saturday junior races. General entries sold out in 12 hours. Crowd support is the selling point: castle start, bay, barrage, civic-centre finish.

Rail from England and Wales beats flying for most people. Stay central for expo and start-line simplicity. Cardiff Half trip page.

Best half marathons in Europe are not always the biggest

Search “best half marathons in Europe” and you get a different job: fast courses, landmarks, a weekend you would take even without a bib. The SuperHalfs series - Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Cardiff, Valencia - exists for that traveller. Complete all six, in any order, and you get a SuperMedal. You do not need the series to enjoy any one race.

Three of those six are smaller than Madrid and still harder to get into, because demand is international and the cap is real.

Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich

When: October
Official site: valenciaciudaddelrunning.com - half

The 2026 edition uses a 25,000-bib cap and a ballot after a loyalty window for 2025 runners. That is smaller than Paris or Berlin, and still one of the most oversubscribed halves in Europe, because the course is flat, sea-level, and built for time. Flights into VLC and a hotel you can walk or tram from matter as much as the cap. Valencia Half trip page.

EDP Lisbon Half Marathon

When: March
Official site: maratonaclubedeportugal.com - EDP Lisbon Half

The half itself is capped at 19,000. The organiser’s “more than 30,000 participants” line includes other distances on the weekend, so do not use that as the half field. Demand crashed the entry site hard enough that 2026 moved to a ballot. Bridge start, monastery finish, SuperHalfs member. Logistics (Fertagus trains onto the 25 de Abril Bridge) are part of the product. Lisbon Half trip page.

Generali Prague Half Marathon

When: March / April
Official site: RunCzech - Prague Half

RunCzech results list 15,636 finishers for the 2026 race (28 March). That is the smallest field in this article and still one of the most searched destination halves in Europe: Charles Bridge, castle views, Elite Label, SuperHalfs, ballot in busy years. Popularity here is scarcity plus the city, not volume. Prague Half trip page.

How to pick a half in Europe

If you want…	Look at…
The biggest atmosphere	Great North Run, Göteborgsvarvet, Paris
A capital city loop	Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona
A flat PB with Med weather	Valencia, Barcelona
SuperHalfs / series chasing	Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Cardiff, Valencia
A UK weekend without a passport	Great North Run, Cardiff

1. Decide what “popular” means for you. Crowd energy, or a race so in-demand the cap is the story.
2. Check entry first. Ballot, loyalty window, charity, or sold-out-in-12-hours changes the whole trip.
3. Price the weekend, not the bib. Hotel near the start beats a cheaper room across town on a 40,000-runner morning.
4. Read the admin. France and Italy often want medical paperwork. Bridge starts and point-to-point finishes need a transport plan.

When you have two or three names, find a race in the catalog or open the trip pages linked above. The estimates are indicative whole-weekend costs from the UK, not live quotes.

FAQs

What are the most popular half marathons in Europe?

By recent field size: the Great North Run (around 60,000–63,000), Göteborgsvarvet (55,000 registered in 2026), the Paris Half (nearly 50,000 starters in 2026), Berlin (42,563 runners in 2026), and Rome (nearly 40,000 registrations for 2026). SuperHalfs races such as Valencia, Lisbon, and Prague are popular in a different way - smaller caps, high international demand.

What are the biggest half marathons in Europe?

The biggest published fields are the Great North Run, Göteborgsvarvet, and Paris, then Berlin, Rome, and Barcelona. Treat “biggest” as a dated snapshot: Rome almost doubled between 2025 and 2026, and Copenhagen skipped its mass race in 2026 for the world championships.

What are the best half marathons in Europe?

“Best” depends on the job — use the four criteria above (course, city, entry, logistics). For a fast city-break half, Valencia, Lisbon, Prague, Barcelona, Berlin, and Copenhagen are the names UK runners keep circling — we unpacked those on the city-break shortlist. For raw atmosphere, the Great North Run and Göteborgsvarvet win on volume. For a first overseas half with a landmark finish, the Berlin Half Marathon review is the usual shortlist pick.

Do the big European halves sell out?

The large ones usually do, months ahead. Cardiff’s 2025 general entries went in 12 hours. Valencia, Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, and the Great North Run often use ballots or draws. Rome’s 2026 field was effectively full by June, with charity bibs as the leftover route.

Do I need a medical certificate to run a half in Europe?

Sometimes. France commonly requires a medical certificate or PPS (Paris does). Italy often requires a certificate for competitive events (check Rome’s current rules). Many other European races do not. Always read the organiser’s entry conditions for that edition.

When is the best time of year for half marathons in Europe?

Spring (February–April) and autumn (September–October) hold most of the big fields: Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Prague, and Lisbon in spring; Great North Run, Cardiff, Rome, and Valencia in autumn. Göteborgsvarvet sits in May. Summer is thinner for major city halves, which is the point - heat and holidays.